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( No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 1.

L. HOLLINGWORTH. AUTOMATIC STOP MOTION DEVICE FOR TENTERING OR DRYING MACHINES.

No. 450,511. Patented Apr. 14,1891.

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(No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 2. L. HOLLI-NGWORTI-I. AUTOMATIO STOP MOTION DEVICE FOR TENTERING 0R DRYING MACHINES.

N0. 450,511. Patented Apr. 14,1891.

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L. HOLLINGWORTH. AUTOMATIC STOP MOTION DEVEGE FOR TENTERING 0R DRYING MACHINES.

No. 450,511. Patented Apr. 14,1891.

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(No M0del.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 4.

L. HOLLINGWORTH AUTOMATIC STOP MOTION DEVICE FOR TENTEIRING 011 DRYING MACHINES.

No. 450,511. Patented A r; 14, 1891.

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UNHED STATES PATENT Qrrrcn.

LOUIS HOLLINGIVORTH, OF PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND.

AUTOMATIC STOP-MOTION DEVICE FOR TENTERING OR DRYING MACHINES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 450,511, dated April 14, 1891. I

I Application filed August 13, 1890- Serial No. 361,887. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern."

Be it known that I, LOUIS HOLLINGWORTH, a citizen of theUnited States, residing at Providence, in the county of Providence and State of Rhode Island, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Automatic Stop- Motion Devices for Tentering or Drying Machines; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates to automatic stopmotion de.viees for textile or other machinery, the invention being more particularly adapted to be employed with tenteringor drying machines.

Heretofore, so far as I am aware, tenteringmachines have been unprovided with means for automatically stopping them in case the traveling fabric is not properly hooked onto the pins of the tenter-chain. Owing to a lack of automatic stop mechanism the fabric is improperly or not uniformly stretched at such detached place, because the cloth fails to receive the necessary amount of lateral tension, thereby not only increasing the percentage of imperfect or unsalable goods, but at the same time correspondingly lessening the production or capacity of the machine. This results from the fact that the-machine must necessarily remain idle until the fabric is properly readjusted thereon. The quantity of cloth thus failing to be caught onto the tenter-chain may be several yards in length before it is detected by the attendant. Sometimes the edge of the traveling cloth will miss the tenter-chain pins and after traveling a short distance thus unhooked will of itself again engage the pins and travel in unison therewith; but if then detected the whole must be taken off from the chairfand the cloth carried back to the entering end of the machine, thereby causing a great loss of time before the mechanism can again be brought into its normal working condition.

The object I seek to attain by my present invention is to overcome the objections or disadvantages just referred to, and to that end I provide each of the two sides of a tentering-machine at its forward end with a vertically guided dog mounted in a longitudinally-guided frame connected with the beltshifter or valve of the drying-machine, said dog being provided with jointed arms or fingers, whose free or lower ends bear normally upon the fabric hooked into and carried by the tenter-chain..

By means of my invention the traveling cloth itself automatically controls the action of the stop-motion mechanisrnas, for example, assuming now the fabric to properly engage the pins of the traveling tenter-chain, as it (the fabric) passes onto them the device will then be in its normal working position t'. 6., the dog is disconnectedfrom the traveling chain by reason of the jointed fingers which bear against the upper surface of the fabric; but if from some cause the edge of the cloth fails to hook itself upon the tenterchain, or even skips a link or two, then, as the lateral tension of the unhooked portion of the cloth is insufficient to maintain the fingers in their normal position when it arrives in juxtaposition therewith, the dog will immediately drop into engagement with one of the links of the tenter-chain and be carried along by it a short distance until it (the dog) is automatically released. Meanwhile the connection leading from the moving dog-carrying rame to the belt-shipper has reversed the belt and caused the machinery to stop running.

In the appended four sheets of drawings, Figure l is a side elevation of my improved stop-motion, the several parts being in the normal working relation corresponding to a perfect engagement of the fabric with the tenter-chain. Fig. 2 is a corresponding plan view. Fig. 3 is a side elevation, a portion of the fabric being disconnected from the tenterchain, the latter traveling rearwardly and having the dog in engagement therewith, thereby,through the medium of the flexible connection attached to the traveling frame, causing the belt to be reversed. Fig. at is a similar view, the device, however, having traveled rearwardly to its limit, and also showing the dog automatically withdrawn from the chain by means of atri pping device. Fig. 5 is a side view of a portion of the tenterchain detached. Fig. 6 is a plan view. 7 and 8, Sheet 2,are transverse sectional views taken on lines 0000 and y 2 of Figs. 1 and 3, respectively. Fig. 9 is a side view showing the relation of the parts when an end of the fabric is passing the device. Fig. 10 is a cross-sectional view taken on line .2 z of Fig. 9.

or without the fabric. vertical sectional view in reduced scale, showing a piece of goods passing t hrougha tentering-niachine, and also showing a manner of attaching the stop-motion to the lever of a belt-shipper which controls the driving mechanism. Fig. 13 is a corresponding plan view; and Fig. 14, Sheet 4, shows a modification of the driving mechanism.

stantially as follows. I would, however, first briefly describe the usual form of tenteringmachine and its operation, as indicated by Figs. 12 and 13: The tenter-chain c is double l and also endless, the links having a series of pin-carrying plates attached to them. The chain passes back and forth over wheels secured to axles r, mounted to revolve in suitable bearings. Motion is imparted to the machine by a driving belt 2?. passing around the driving-pulley t'. The la ter is mounted upon a connteushaft having a cone-pulley j,

from which a beltj leads down to a similar The latters shaft carries a bevelpulley pinion, which intergears with a larger gear a,

which in turn simultaneously actuates the.

upper portion of the chain travels in a guide or track m. To the upper portion of this track is secured my stop-motion device, the 1 same being located at or near the front end of the tentering-niachine.

The device as a whole is designated by A, the same being supported by end frames a, secured to the track 172. (See Figs. 1, 2, rise.) These frames are separated a suitable distance-sayten ortwelveinches-and are connected by two stationary parallel guide-rods b. A cross-head or dog-carrying frame (Z is fitted to move endwise along the rods Z). To the front portion of the frame d is pivoted at n a rearWardly-extending two-arm lover I, the free end Z of the upper arm being bent to engage a tripping-cam or reversely-bent arm (2, secured to the rear frame a. The end Figs.

Fig. 11 is apartial side elevation showing the device adjusted, so that the tenter-machine will not be stopped when running empty 1 Fig. 12, Sheet 3. is a 5 of the other or lower arm of the lever is also bent. but adapted to bear against the upper face of the edge of the fabric. The lever is further provided with a front extension it, having a beveled edge arranged to engage a laterally-projccting locking-pin s, secured to the front frame a. The cross-head (Z is provided with a rearward extension carrying a vertically-mounted dog (1 The upper end of the dog is jointed to the lover I, the latter having aeurved slot d therein, through which passes a small pin d secured to the dog. (See Fig. 1.) Just below the joint-pin the dog is provided with a stop-pin t This latter pin not onlyserves to limit the downward movement of the lever I, but when combined with the loose finger or lever t, about to be described, prevents the dog from dropping into engagement with the tenter-chain c. The chain as usually constructed is represented by Figs. 5 and 6, each link having a lateral 1 extension provided with a pin or spur carry- A more detailed description of my inveni101] and the manner of its operation are subing plate p. These pins are vertical, and when in use are hooked into the edge of the fabric f, as shown in Fig. 7, &c. It will be seen, Fig. 6, that a space intervenes between the several chain-links. This space may be utilized to receive the lower end of the dog 1 [See dottcdlines.) hen thedogis thus dropped into engagement with the chain,(see also Figs. 3 and B,) the dog, levers, &c., are caused to travel in unison with it. It is obvious that thedog may be arranged to engage other parts of thetraveling chain with the same result.

To the front side of the cross-head d at t a loose lever t is pivoted. This lever or finger is bent laterally and is well rounded at its lower end i to engage the upper surface of the fabric. The upper end or edge of the lever t is slightly curved, as at i and is further provided with a short extension By means of this construction the lever when in a substantially vertical position (see Figs. 9 and i1} prevents the dog from dropping into engagement with the chain, the pin if of the dog then resting upon the surface if of the lever. At the same time the extension 15 serves to maintain the parts in position.

in the several figures at flexible connection or cord c is represented as secured to the cross-head d. This cord passes from the cross-head to and around a wheel h adjustably secured to a shaft 0 transversely mounted at the front end of the machine. (See Fig. 13.} Usually the forward chain-wl'ieels Jr and the said wheels h as wellare fitted to move cndwise on splines or keys formed in the respective shafts. By this arrangement the machine may be adjusted laterally at its front end to any desired width corresponding to the width and kind of fabric to be dried upon it, thereby at the same time properly stretching the cloth in a lateral direction. To one end of the wheel-shaft c is secured another wheel 7L2. A cord 0 passes from this wheel and is secured to the shipper arm g, the latter being also provided with a guided rod or connection g, arranged to engage and reverse or ship the driving-belt F, as usual.

By means of the lever g an attendant standing upon the platform 11 Fig. 12, readily controls the machine, as in starting and stopping it.

In lieu of the driving mechanism shown, a

direct-acting steam-engine may be substituted, substantially as shown in Fig. 14. In such case the operator controls the tenteringmachine by simply opening and closing the steam-valve 12 located in the steam-pipe '0, the valve having a wheel to which the cord 0 is attached, substantially as shown.

The operation of my automatic stop-motion device A is substantially as follows: The fabric f is first introduced by the attendant to the tenter-chain, which latter carries it along back and forth, at the same time stretching and drying it, until it falls to the floor at the end of the operation. In thus working the two edges of the fabric are continuously hooked onto the tenter-chain pins p, the device then being in its normal working position. (See Figs. 1, '7, 12,. and 14.) Sometimes mechanism is employed for automatically guiding the cloth onto the pins. A device for this purpose forms the subject of another pending application for United States patent filed by me March 27, 1890. The stop-motion device when normally working has the lower ends 1 2i of the levers or fin gersZ t respectively bearing upon the traveling fabric, as in Figs. 1 and '7. Nowin case the fabric for some reason misses one ortwo links of the chain 0, thereby failing to become hooked onto the pins, when such detached portion arrives oppositethe pivoted lever Zthe latter falls to its limit, thereby carrying down with it the connected dog (1 which latter then engages the tenter-chain and is forced along rearwardly by it (see Figs. 3 and 8) until it is automatically released from the chain by reason of the engagement of the upper arm Z of the lever with the stationary cam e. (See Fig. 4.) The rearward movement of the cross-head, &c., at the same time, by means of the flexible connection c 0 forces the shipper-lever g, Fig. 12, in the arrow direction, thereby shifting the driving-belt i and automatically stopping the machine. If an engine, Fig. 14, is employed in lieu of the belt, &c., the action of the said flexible connections is to turn the wheel of the valve c thereby shutting off the steam from the engine and stopping the tentering-machine. The attendant next makes the necessary readjustment of the fabric and starts the machine. The act of moving the lever g or opening the valve 12 at the same time carries the levers Z, &c., back to the normal position again. (See Fig. 1.) hen the rear end of the piece of fabric has passed the forward lever 25, the latter by its own weight or gravity instantly assumes a vertical position, thereby carrying the upper end of the lever under and in contact with the stop-pin If" of the dog, thus preventing the latter from falling when the fabric leaves the lever Z. (See Figs. 9 and 10.) By this arrangement it Wlll be seen that the machine is not necessarily stopped during the interval required to introduce a new piece of fabric.

' I sometimes find it desirable to set the device so that for the time being it cannot act to automatically stop the machine. "In such case I provide the cord a Fig. 1.2, with a loop 0, which the attendant passes over the stationary pin 0. In so doing the springs 8 interposed between the forward frame CL and the cross-head, are compressed at the same time the forward end 11 of the leverl is'forced under the locking-pin .9, thereby preventing the dog from engaging the traveling chain, although the other lever i may bear upon the fabric, (not shown,) assuming thelatter to be passing through the machine. Upon releasing the loop from the pin 0 the springs automatieally force the lever from the pin 3 to the normal position represented by Fig. 1.

I claim as my inventionl. The combination, with a tenter-chain and starting mechanism of a tentering or drying machine, of a stop-motion device connected with said starting mechanism and having a dog disconnected from the tenter chain when normally working by dog-connected mechanism controlled by the traveling fabric attached to said chain.

2. The combination, with the spur-carrying endless chain of a tentering or analogous machine for drying web fabrics, of a mounted dog arranged to engage said chain and travel therewith, a lever connected with and controlling the action of said dog and arranged to bear upon the fabrics surface, a lockinglever also arranged to bear upon the fabric and to automatically engage the dog to prevent the latter from engaging the teuter-chain after the fabric has passed, and a stationary arm arranged to automatically disconnect the dog from the chain, substantially as hereinbefore described.

3. The stop-motion device, substantially as hereinbefore described, consisting .of a crosshead or frame mounted to move back and forth and connected with starting mechanism, a dog-controlling lever pivoted to said crosshead and arranged to bear normally upon the fabric, a pivoted dog-locking lever adapted to bear freely upon the fabric and arranged to travel in unison with the cross-head, a dog adapted to engage the tenter-chain and controlled by said levers, and a tripping-arm adapted to engage the lever to automatically disengage the dog from the tenter-chain.

4. A cross-head mounted to move back and forth, a dog vertically mounted therein, a main lever jointed to the said cross-head and dog and arranged to rest upon the fabric, and an auxiliary or locking lever also bearing upon the fabric and adapted to engage the dog, in combination with starting mechanism connected With said cross-l1ead,and a tenterchain arranged to carry Wet fabrics and also adapted to engage said dog, substantially as hereinbefore described, and for the purpose set forth.

5. The combination, With a suitably moun ted and driven tenter-chain and starting mechanism of a tentering machine, of a cross-head, l

or lever having its lower end portion arranged to bear against the edge portion of a web of fabric mounted on a traveling tentcr-chain, a dog or pin jointed to and controlled by said member and arranged to engage the tenterchain, a member or lever arranged to engage said fabric and also arranged and adapted to 1 look the dog in position when desired to pre- 1 vent the latter from engaging the chain, a longitudinally guided cross -head carrying said members and dog and connected with the starting mechanism of the machine, and a tripping-arm arranged to disconnect the dog from the chain, substantially as and for the purpose hereinbefore set forth.

T. The combination, with the fabric-controlled stop-motion device connected With the starting mechanism of a tentcring or analogous machine and having a dog adapted to engage the tenter-chain, substantially as hereinbefore described, of a dog-controlling pivoted lever having a point or extension, as n, a locking-pin, as 3, arranged to engage with the point a to prevent said dog from chain contact, and springs, as 5 adapted to automatieally force the device from said pin.

in testimony whereof I have affixed my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

LOUIS HOLLINGWORTII.

Witnesses:

lIHARLEs HANNIGAN, GEO. ll. REMINGTON. 

